Sedatives have different effect on early risers and late-night creatures

The so-called “owls” or “skylarks” i.e. those who get up early and those who normally stay up into the night should choose the right time for work and sleep in tune with their biological clock. Two groups of people also react differently to the intake of medicines. Specialists at the Stavropol medical academy conducted a study to find out how the sedatives work on the representatives of the above groups. Their study shows that early risers should take tranquilizers at night while night people should take them at dawn.

86 volunteers of both sexes ranging from 18 to 23 years of age took part in the experiment. All the young people had an increased level of anxiety. Sedatives were highly recommended in all the cases. The “owls” were then separated from the “skylarks.” The researchers measured the participants' anxiety levels every morning and every night. As it turned out, the early risers showed more anxiety in the evening while the late sleepers felt more anxious in the morning. Researchers gave a tablet of valerian extract, a tablet of grandaxine (tranquilizer) or placebo to every participant upon the measurement procedure. Researchers checked the emotional state of participants half an hour later.

Only the evening tablet of valerian extract had effect on the “skylarks”. The “owls” were impacted by valerian tablets taken in the morning. Researchers discovered a similar pattern with regard to the effects of grandaxine. No change of anxiety levels were reported by those who took placebo.